Personal Lover
by honou-ame
Summary: Modern day. Rukia was hired to become Byakuya's personal maid. Now that she's placed in a new environment, she makes new friends and finds love.
1. Chapter 1

Kuchiki was her last name, but yet she was not a tad least bit related to the nobility of the name. She was given that last name after she was adopted by a normal married couple. She was just an ordinary girl who coincidentally had the same last name as the rich and powerful family. Whenever others ask for her name and she tells them, 'Kuchiki Rukia', they start to get excited and ask her if she was related to the nobles. She of course tells them no, and tells them that it was just a coincidence. Sometimes she can use her last name to her advantage, such as whenever she falls in a long line at Starbucks just trying to get coffee. She shows her I.D. to everyone in front of her, and immediately they get out of her way and let her through to the front of the line. It was really an easy way for her to grab coffee quickly.

The only people who knew pretty well that she wasn't a noble were her friends. They knew that her last name was just a coincidence since they knew her lifestyle and where she lived. She was not rich at all, or even middle class. She was just a bit lower than middle class, struggling financially with her parents, but doing well in other matters otherwise. Even though her friends know that her last name does not associate with nobility, they use it to get front seats at concerts without having to pay extra. They really were such good friends...

Rukia, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Momo all sat around a short table in Orihime's room just hanging around like usual and eating whatever food that Orihime prepared for them.

"Wow Orihime, your cooking is getting better and better each time we come over!" said Momo, who seemed to be enjoying the colorful food that Orihime served them. Everyone else agreed with Momo, also taking spoon-fulls and gulping down the food. After eating, they all just sat there, relaxing and spending good old times with each other.

"So Rukia-chan, have you found a job yet?" asked Tatsuki.

"Well, kind of. They're considering on hiring me in the Kuchiki manor as a maid." answered Rukia, who seemed uncomfortable talking about the subject.

"Awww! It's so unfair! Just because you can't afford going to university after the summer! I mean, you have top grades Rukia-chan! You're even really good at sports! I really wish that you didn't have to work to earn money and just go with us to study!" exclaimed Orihime, as she pouted at the idea that her very smart friend would be left behind to work while the rest of them go to university.

"At least you'll get paid decently, and you'll be working in the Kuchiki manor! Who knows? Someone might find out about your genius brain and make you work in their corporation instead of just being a maid! Besides, you wouldn't have to bury yourself in books and study like hell during the next year like us, and we'll still be able to see each other since the the university isn't so far. And..." Momo stopped in mid sentence to nudge Rukia on the shoulder, and made a sly face. "I heard that the head of the clan, Kuchiki Byakuya, is quite a sight! You'll be able to give us the details about him!" she exclaimed, getting all excited because of the rumors she had heard about the man.

"Uh... I don't even know if I'm working in the Kuchiki manor for sure yet. Besides, I heard that Kuchiki Byakuya was always so busy that no one sees him at all during the day." replied Rukia, as she sweat-dropped at her friend's joking ways, and they all laughed. But deep inside, she really appreciated what Momo said, because she really didn't want to lose them. She wanted to keep in touch with them while they were away and hang out whenever they could get a chance. It's also true that she would be able to take a break from school, even though she loved studying, and find out what she wants to do with her life. Working wouldn't be such a bad idea at all.

_At the Kuchiki manor..._

In an office at the Kuchiki manor, two men sat at a desk, looking through papers and pictures. They were resumes and applications to work as a maid in the Kuchiki manor. One of them picked up Rukia's picture and resume.

"Hmm... I really like this one a lot. I gave her a call a while ago and told her that we might be considering her. She looks like a hard worker, and look, she even stated in her resume that she recently graduated high school with honors and won first place in her school's regional track and field. She's also very cute. Byakuya-sama wouldn't want anyone less." said one man, as he continued to read Rukia's application.

"She only graduated from high school? Why is she working then if she has top grades?" replied the other man, who seemed skeptical about hiring Rukia.

"Well, it says here that she's trying to earn money for university. At least that's a good intention unlike the other girls who applied who said that all they wanted was to see Byakuya-sama's face. Really now, how insulting to the young master." said the first man, still holding Rukia's resume and picture, thinking that she is the best candidate for the job.

"Fine" sighed the other man. "But if I hear Byakuya-sama complain about this girl even once, we're going to have to fire her right away. He only deserves the best after all. Give her a call tomorrow morning and tell her that she's got the job. I'll tell Unohana-san about her and she'll let her know what she needs to do." he continued, sounding defeated. But hopefully she really will be able to uphold the job as Byakuya-sama's personal maid...


	2. Chapter 2

Rukia had decided to call up all of her friends to hang out together in the afternoon and tell them that she had been accepted to work at the Kuchiki manor. It wasn't really much exciting news, but it was what she planned to do for the year, so it was important for her friends to know. Before meeting up with them though, she decided to visit her sister, Hisana. She took the bus and got off in front of a tall and dark gate which led to the entrance of the cemetery, and headed to her sister's grave. She placed some flowers on the stone and lit up the candles that were already there. _'These candles are pretty new... mom and dad must have visited her last night.' _she thought to herself as she lit the candles. She said a short prayer while standing in front of the grave, and sat down comfortably on the ground to talk to her sister.

"Hisana nee-san, I really miss you a lot. How long has it been since that day?" Rukia said with sadness, as tears started to prickle her eyes...

_Two years ago..._

_Hisana sat up from the hospital bed and checked the clock on the small table nearest to her. It was that time again, so she looked out of the window from her bed and saw Rukia coming near the main entrance of the hospital. It was once again that time of the day. That time of the day when Rukia comes to visit. She had always been doing that ever since Hisana had been admitted to the hospital. Rukia would always go straight to the hospital after school on weekdays and spend the entire day with Hisana during weekends. It always made Hisana's day. _

_Rukia went up to Hisana's room in the hospital and let herself in. "Hey nee-san! How are you doing today?!" she would always ask, with energy and excitement._

_"I'm still feeling the same Rukia, nothing's really changed." Hisana replied with a soft smile on her face. She had always acted more mature than Rukia even though she was only a year older._

_"Ehh... you're always saying that! Can't you see I'm always worrying about you?! Were you having attacks yesterday while I was gone? Did you feel nauseous?" asked Rukia, showing true concern for her sister. She really wanted to know how Hisana was progressing. She has been in the hospital for over a month now with no improvements, so Rukia wanted to make sure that she was not getting worse, even though she really was._

_"Well, I've been feeling more tired lately, but it's nothing to worry about at all." Hisana replied, getting concerned about her sister worrying too much. All she really wanted was to get better. She didn't ask for a weak heart, but she was happy that she was given a sister who cared for her._

_Rukia stayed with Hisana until late that night, but it was getting too late so she had to get home. "I'll see you again tomorrow Hisana nee-san." said Rukia, as she headed for the door, but before she opened it, she remembered that she had brought Hisana something. "Oh yeah! I forgot to give this to you!" Rukia said as she handed Hisana a stuffed rabbit. "Chappy really missed you, so I decided to bring her so that you guys can hang out for the night!" she exclaimed. Hisana accepted the rabbit and hugged it tightly to herself. "Thank you Rukia... I'll see you tomorrow I guess." replied Hisana, as Rukia headed for the door and smiled to her sister before leaving..._

_Later that night..._

_Rukia lay on her bed, unable to sleep. Something was bothering her and her heart felt heavy. The phone suddenly rang but someone else picked it up. Rukia stepped out of her bedroom and went down the stairs. She saw her mother, looking frantic as she held the phone on her hand. _

_"What's going on?" asked Rukia, really worried that something bad must have happened. _

_"Your sister... Hisana... we have to go the hospital! She's having a terrible attack! Get your father! We have to get to the hospital soon!!!" Her mother was panicking, and her voice was very shaky. Rukia went to get her dad and they all drove off as fast as they could to get to the hospital, and to the room where Hisana was._

_Hisana was lying on the bed with sweat on her face. She was panting heavily, and her eyes were half closed. She looked incredibly tired. As her family entered the room, one of the doctors went up to them to bring bad news. "This might be her last night, so please, if you could, stay with her until that time..." he said with deep sorrow in his voice. Everyone in the room left except for Rukia and her parents, and they all approached Hisana's bed. Thier mom was crying, while their dad was trying to comfort their mom. Rukia knelt down and held her sister's hand. She noticed that Chappy was lying down on Hisana's other side, with Hisana's hand on it. Rukia did not want her sister to die. She loved her so much, and she was her other half. Rukia prayed as she held Hisana's hand. She prayed to God or to whomever was listening, to save her sister. She wanted to speak to her some more, and spend more time with her. She wanted to see her graduate from school and go off to get a good career. It was their plan on moving out together far away from the city, in another place and travel together. Now, none of this was going to happen, because at any time now, Hisana could be taking her last breath..._

_"Are you awake nee-chan?" asked Rukia in a whisper, as she held her sister's hand tightly._

_"Yeah... but I'm very tired." Hisana replied, barely able to keep her eyes open. "I feel like I'm about to die Rukia... but I don't have any regrets... the only regret I have is not being able to spend more time with you." she added, her voice coarse. "We were inseparable when we were kids, even up to now. I love those memories we had. They were the best. When we were in the orphanage, I remember not wanting to get adopted because I wanted you to be adopted with me. I love you Rukia, and I love mom and dad too. I'm happy that they treated the both of us as if we were their real children. Thank you mom and dad... thank you for giving me and Rukia new life. Please... take care of her... and Rukia... please take care of yourself. I love you very much my little sister..." and Hisana took her last breath. She had a very peaceful look on her face, she seemed very content._

_Rukia started crying. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "I love you too, Hisana nee-san..."_

Rukia let more tears spill as she went through that memory. She really missed Hisana a lot, because it was true that they were inseparable. She lost her other half two years ago, and now she's taking time to rebuild that other half of her for the sake of her sister. She knows that Hisana just wants her to be happy.

"Nee-san, I was thinking back then, that if you were still alive, and you got a boyfriend, I would have hated him a lot. I wouldn't have been able to let go of you. It's because you're the only person I ever truly loved. I was never jealous of you, and I was always so proud of you. It seems odd to say this, but you were my... pride and joy."

_At the Kuchiki Manor... _

Byakuya sat at his desk in his personal office at the Kuchiki manor just working away. He also pondered about the idea of having a personal maid. He had never had one before, but the elderly people of his house suggested that he needed one since he was always so busy. The little things that needed to be done, he could always let someone else do, and that's why a maid assigned to serve only him was necessary. He had told his elder house members before that he did not need one, and he could just get his assistant, Renji, to run errands for him, and that there were also enough maids running around the manor doing chores. He found that having a personal maid was a nuisance since that person would just get in his way of work and thinking. The elder house members of course opposed him and said that there was no way that Renji could make decent tea, and that all of the maids were already assigned to their own tasks. They had also said that having a personal maid would be easier since she can prepare food for him if he'd like, or clean up files in his library and office. They promised to hire someone young and smart for him, so he just gave in, knowing that they would never stop pestering him about the issue. But to be honest, he didn't really care whether or not he had a personal maid, because it's not like anything would change...

Someone knocked on the door and this awoke Byakuya from his thoughts. He sighed heavily, sounding tired and stressed. "Come in." he said in a deep voice. The door opened and a man with red hair and tattoos on his face came in. "What is it Renji?" Byakuya asked, sounding annoyed as Renji had once again disturbed his thoughts.

"Uh... just to let you know Byakuya-sama, the elders have already hired your personal maid. She should be coming in tomorrow to receive instructions from Unohana-san." replied Renji, acting formal and respectful in front of the Head of the House.

"Is that all?" Byakuya asked, with a stern look and icy glare directed at Renji.

"Well, uh... umm... hehe, I heard she was cute!" Renji replied, feeling nervous. He knew that he didn't have to tell Byakuya-sama of this, but he felt that Byakuya-sama probably needed someone to talk to for the day. He was just locked in his office, working away for the past seven hours without speaking to anyone or even eating for the matter. Renji knew that he was going to get really angry, but at least Byakuya-sama made human contact...

"Renji..." Byakuya started, his glare getting icier at the moment. "Get... out..." he continued, and right away he heard the door close, with no sign of Renji around. That guy really got to his nerves sometimes, and he always bothered him for the littlest of things. At least he's gone... for now...


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone! I kinda forgot to put down notes like these in the beginning for my first two chapters. I just immediately uploaded them because I was excited for my very first fic! Yes, It's my very first fanfiction, so if you guys have any suggestions for me, please let me know. I would truly appreciate that. Umm, so it's Rukia X Byakuya because I think that they're both cool and pretty! Hopefully this fic will get somewhere, but if I ever get stuck, I could always ask you guys for help! Thanks for reading, and PS, I don't own Bleach! I just love it to death! Thanks again!!!

Rukia headed over to the movie theatres and noticed that Orihime, Tatsuki, and Momo were waiting for her outside. She also noticed that three of her guy friends were there too. Ichigo, Ishida, and Sado. She came straight up to them and greeted them. "Hey everyone!" she greeted.

"Ah, look who's late! You were the one who planned this Rukia, and you kept us waiting!" Ichigo said, as a greeting to Rukia.

"Whatever, Strawberry! The plan was to meet at 3:00, and guess what the time is right now?! It's only 3:05! You were only waiting for five minutes you idiot!" Rukia replied. Everyone just smiled at them, because this always happened within their group.

"So..." Ishida interrupted, "What are we doing today Rukia-chan? You were the one who invited us out, so you tell us where to go." Everyone was also wondering what the activity was for the day, so they all stared at Rukia.

"Umm... how about we go and eat first so that I can tell you guys my very special news!" Rukia exclaimed. She was really excited that everyone showed up to hang out today, and it would be much easier for her to tell them of her news.

"Okay then." everyone replied.

It really was just one of those hang out days. Everyone was just themselves, being comfortable and everything. Orihime wore one of her dresses, it was a white one with no sleeves, and yellow flowers were embroidered at the end of her just-below-the-knee skirt. Tatsuki was wearing black shorts and a white fitted shirt. Momo had a different style from the other two. She tends to dress in a very cute fashion. She wore a yellow shirt with the sleeves a little bit puffed, and an over-the-knee green skirt. Ichigo was wearing a red sweater and dark blue jeans, while Ishida was wearing a white button down shirt with black pants. Sado wore his usual pink button down shirt with petal designs on it and brown pants. Rukia was also dressed quite comfortably with her light blue sleeveless dress and a short sleeved jean jacket over it. They all walked in to the usual restaurant and sat at their usual table. After ordering their food, Rukia thought that it was best now to tell them of her news.

"I know that you're all going to be in university next year, and I'll surely be missing you guys..." Rukia started off, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"So what midget? It's not like we're going to stop being friends." Ichigo retorted, and drank from his glass.

"Ugh, I know that! Let me finish!!! So as I was saying, I'm really going to miss you guys, and I hope that we'd all be able to hang out with each other during the year." she continued. Everyone at the table looked sad. Deep inside they wanted to help Rukia. They even thought of paying for her tuition, but it was obvious that she would refuse their offer. She was an independent girl, and she didn't want to burden others, even though lending her money wouldn't really be a burden to them.

"I was hired to become a maid in the Kuchiki manor. The pay isn't so bad at all, and after a year, I should be able to join you guys again at school!" Rukia said. She finally brought them the news.

"What?! Are you serious?! Since when did you know this?" Tatsuki asked. "When are you starting?!" Momo added. Both of them seemed really excited and happy for her.

"Don't make it into such a big deal! They gave me a call this morning, and they said that I was going to start tomorrow." she replied to the questions they asked. "But..." she added, "I'm going to have to live away from home. They said that if I really wanted the job, I had to stay in the manor. I have to live there and serve them."

"Really Rukia-san?! You have to live there?!" asked Orihime, who seemed shocked from the proposal.

"Did you tell your parents yet?" asked Sado, who also seemed interested in the topic.

"Uh... yeah, I have to live there, and no, I have not told my parents yet. I plan on telling them later on." Rukia replied. The topic of working in the Kuchiki manor was once again making her feel uncomfortable.

"Do you think that they will be okay with you leaving, Rukia-chan?" asked Ishida, who seem to understand the matter more from a parent's point of view.

"I'm not so sure. But I feel that I should not depend on them as much anymore. They have adopted me and Hisana nee-san kindly into their family, and I know that I should repay them by telling them that they have raised me well to be independent. I'm sure that they will be sad, but it's not like I'm going to leave forever. I'll of course visit them whenever I get the chance." she replied. It's true though, that her parents will be sad. They have already lost Hisana, and now they will not see Rukia as much. She really needs to thank them for their kindness and everything.

The food finally came, and they all ate heartily. They stole food from each other and shared. They really looked like a family, they all really looked happy. Rukia looked at all of her friends. She considered herself lucky to have them. But then her thoughts suddenly stopped her from thinking about her friends to another matter. _'I can't believe that I'm going to start working tomorrow... in the Kuchiki manor!' _Now she was really getting nervous about the next day...


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Thank you to those who have been giving reviews and reading and stuff. It really does help to boost one's drive to write. XD Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and thanks once again for reading! P.S. I don't own Bleach!

Talking to her parents about moving into the Kuchiki manor wasn't so bad. All they said was that she should be careful and that she should come and visit them at any chance she gets. Of course they were a bit sad, but it was just what parents truly felt whenever their child leaves. Rukia packed her bags that night. She really didn't have much to bring since the room that she was staying in at the manor was fully furnished. All she brought were her clothes and a bunch of mangas she started collecting ever since she was little. She also decided to bring her stuffed rabbit, Chappy. _'Of course I'll never leave you here, Chappy.' _She thought to herself as she placed the stuffed animal on top of her bags. She was now ready to sleep, but knew that she wouldn't be able to since there were too much thoughts going on in her mind. She thought about the next day, and how she will be treated. She thought about what she will be doing, and if she was ever going to meet new friends there. She also wanted to know what Byakuya Kuchiki was like... _'Crap, Momo got some stupid thoughts into my head. Oh well, I don't think that I'll be seeing much of him anyway.' _She thought, as she tried her best to sleep. But Rukia had to admit to herself, she was a bit excited about working in the manor.

_At the Kuchiki Manor..._

Rukia stood in front of the gate of the manor with her bags just beside her. She was instructed to wait there until someone came to let her in and tell her what she needed to do. She was getting nervous now, and this really tall gate made her feel even more nervous. She felt intimidated by it. Did she really feel that scared? Well, this was the Kuchiki manor after all. Nobles lived here. She knew deep inside that she wanted to do a great job and not disappoint anyone. Besides, it was her first day, who wouldn't be scared on their first day at work? She just stared at this tall gate with tension eating her up until she noticed two people walking towards the gate from the inside. One was an elegant looking woman with long braided hair at the front, and the other was young looking boy. As they neared the gate she found that what they were wearing was strange. It seemed that they were wearing old traditional Japanese clothing. The young looking boy wore a black hakama outfit, while the woman wore a traditional kimono. When they finally reached the gate, Rukia snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Good morning!" said Rukia formally as she bowed. As she was bowing, the young boy opened the gate, and gave her a gesture to come inside. She then stood up straight and stepped past the gate. Finally, she was now inside the most renowned Kuchiki manor.

"You must be Rukia Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Retsu Unohana, the head supervisor of the house." said the woman. She bowed to Rukia and then called to the young boy. "Hanatarou, please pick up Rukia-san's bags and close the gates after." The young boy followed what Unohana had said and then came beside Unohana to introduce himself formally to Rukia. "I'm Yamada Hanatarou. I'm a servant here in the house, pleased to meet you Rukia-san." he said, while carrying Rukia's bags.

Unohana then turned around and started to walk towards the house, no, let's call it a mansion. Yes, Unohana started walking towards the mansion with Hanatarou following. Rukia just followed behind them. She didn't really know what else to do at the moment. The head supervisor of the house was walking right in front of her. What did she have to do to make a good impression?

"Rukia-san, please walk beside me." Unohana said, and Rukia followed. "You don't have to be nervous right now. I'm sure you'll grow to love this place." she added, and Rukia just smiled. "It's funny isn't it though? That your last name is the same as this family's?" Unohana asked, sounding amused and looking kindly at Rukia.

"Umm, yes, it's actually just a coincidence." Rukia replied.

"Well then, it's quite a coincidence isn't it?" said Unohana, still smiling and looking kind. Rukia just nodded to her in response, still feeling nervous and shy.

As they neared the mansion, Rukia couldn't help but stare at the Kuchiki manor. The place was huge! The front garden was full of different plants and flowers, and cherry blossom trees stood tall at the sides. There were even stepping stones on the grass to get to the main front of the mansion. The place was very traditional, it looked like a mansion from the Edo Period. It had shoji doors and lanterns were also hanging around the house. It truly was beautiful. There was no way that anyone could own a house like this in modern day Japan, only the Kuchiki clan had this.

"Impressed?" asked Unohana, as she watched Rukia's expression.

"Yes! The house is beautiful. I feel like I've been sent back in time." Rukia replied, sounding very excited, and feeling her nervousness flutter away. This was her first time seeing a house like this for real. It really was beautiful, and it gave her a calm feeling inside.

"Well then, we should probably step inside and bring you to your room." Unohana replied, and they all entered the house.

As they stepped into the house, Rukia was once again filled with amazement. She saw people walking around the house, wearing kimonos and hakamas. She was almost convinced that she was sent back in time if it weren't for the florescent lighting.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention that you have to wear traditional clothing whenever you're in the house. It's a sign of respect to the clan, and it is a requirement for those who work here. It's pretty much our uniform. Come this way and I'll show you your room. Your uniform should also be in there." said Unohana, while they passed different hallways. Rukia and Hanatarou followed her, with Hanatarou still carrying Rukia's bags. It looked like he was struggling with them. Well, it was probably heavy due to the fact that Rukia brought her manga collection.

After passing a number of people and going through different hallways, they finally reached Rukia's room. Unohana moved the sliding door and they all entered. The room was very simple. It had a bed and a side-table, and a painting of cherry blossoms hung on the wall. There was also a closet and a small desk with a chair. There were two other doors in the room too. One led to the bathroom while the other was another shoji door on the other side of the room, which led to the gardens outside. She had a large window, and it showed the beautiful view of the garden. Rukia was pleased with the simplicity of it. She didn't want to have any more than this.

"Oh! Rukia-san, you're so lucky! You got the room with the personal bathroom in it!" said Hanatarou, as he placed her bags beside the bed.

"Personal bathroom?" asked Rukia, confused about Hanatarou's comment.

"All of the servants who stay in this house have their own rooms, but most servant rooms don't really have their own bathrooms. Though we do have huge baths in the mansion for servants to share. You're one of the lucky ones who got assigned to a room like this." replied Unohana, to make things clearer for Rukia. "You should probably start unpacking now, and get used to your room. Hanatarou and I will be back in an hour to give you a tour around the house and let you know what your job is. You should also probably change into your uniform. It's in the closet." added Unohana, speaking in a very soft manner to Rukia.

"Okay. Thank you very much for all your help." replied Rukia, bowing her head.

"We'll see you later then Rukia-san." said Hanatarou as he left the room with Unohana.

Rukia sat on her bed after they left and picked up one of her bags. She opened it up and started unpacking. She put all of her clothes in the closet, and took out her uniform. She didn't want to change into it yet so she placed it neatly on the bed and continued with unpacking. Her mangas didn't really have a place anywhere in the room so she decided to keep them in the closet for now. Rukia then placed all of her toiletries in the bathroom. She noticed that the bathroom was also pretty simple. It had a bathtub with a shower, a sink, a small mirror over the sink, and a small cabinet under the sink. There was also a full view mirror across from the sink if she had ever wanted to check out what she was wearing in proper view. After placing her cellphone on the table beside her bed and placing Chappy on the bed, she was now done unpacking, and after seeing everything in her room and feeling content, she finally decided to change into her uniform.

The uniform really looked good on her. It was just a regular kimono with a solid light purple color and yellow obi. She looked a bit girly, but it was fine. It fitted her perfectly. She noticed that she still had some time to spare, but she didn't want to stay in her room, so she decided to open the shoji door that led to the gardens. She stepped out and admired the scenery. A small pond was just a few feet away, and plants surrounded it. Many rocks were on the ground, and cherry blossom petals were scattered all around. It didn't look messy at all. It looked very peaceful. But she noticed that there were too much cherry blossom trees, not that she was complaining, because she loved it a lot.

Rukia just stood there, taking in the fresh air and relaxing. She closed her eyes, and breathed in the wonderful scent of nature. When she opened her eyes once again, she noticed another person walking around the gardens from far away. He looked very familiar, as if she had seen him on TV or on a magazine before...


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! Thanks once again for all the reviews and for reading! Sorry, but this chapter is going to be a bit short. I know that some request for me to make them longer, but I can't, because my lazy button turns on after around 1500 words. But anyway, I will try to make my chapters longer. They also seem short to me anyway. Merry Christmas too! Or Happy Holidays! Whichever one is best. Thanks for the support, and I'll try to have my next chapter in some time soon. Probably this week. XD So please be patient! Thank you!

_'Of course he looks familiar!' _Rukia thought. _'This is Byakuya Kuchiki! The Head of the clan!' _Her thoughts screamed, as she continued to look at the man walking from afar. He had black hair that reached to his shoulders and was wearing a midnight blue hakama. He also wore a haori over it, and on his head was a kenseikan, symbolizing that he was the leader and the utmost respect belonged to him.

She continued to stare at him, wondering whether or not she should stay put or introduce herself. _'I probably shouldn't talk to him. I'm only a servant here after all, but just standing here doesn't feel right.' _She told herself. She lowered her head for a second to sort her thoughts, and then looked up once again. What she saw when she looked up was something she didn't expect.

She saw his eyes. His cold eyes stared at her as he stood far away. She could tell that he was looking at her because their eyes met, yet she couldn't do anything else but stare back. It felt like an eternity, just gazing into each other's eyes. Neither turned their heads or lost focus. Rukia didn't know what to do at that moment. She just gazed at him, with no thoughts bothering her at all. It felt like it was going to last forever until...

"Rukia-san..." Hanatarou called from inside her room. Feeling alarmed, Rukia immediately turned her head and went inside, closing the shoji doors that led to the gardens behind her. She didn't even look back. After closing the doors, she saw Unohana and Hanatarou both inside her room. Her heart was racing, and she didn't even know why. She had to calm down before talking to them. She took deep breaths and calmed herself down before speaking.

"Ah, you're back. I've finished unpacking." Rukia said, feeling herself calm down. _'What was that about anyway?' _She asked herself. Why was her heart racing? Why did he stare at her like that? Why didn't she look away? Did she feel that intimidated? _'That was probably it. I was intimidated... His eyes were so cold, but yet, they weren't...' _She thought, feeling confused.

"It's good that you've finished, and the uniform looks really good on you. It fits you perfectly." Said Unohana. "Now we can begin with giving you a tour around the manor." She added. Rukia now decided to drop her thoughts about that man and focus instead on her job. They all stepped outside her room and started to walk.

"Oh, just to let you know Rukia-san, everyone in the house has a rank. Us servants just wear plain colored kimonos and hakamas. Guards around the house wear an armband with their traditional clothing, and nobles wear haoris over their clothes." said Hanatarou, while walking beside Rukia.

"That's a good point you've mentioned Hanatarou. Also, don't forget that the highest ranked person in the house wears a kenseikan. And that would be Byakuya-sama. Everyone is lower than him, unless he says so otherwise." added Unohana, making sure that Rukia knew her place.

_'Servants wear nothing special, guards wear armbands, nobles wear haoris, and head of the house wears a kenseikan. Got it.' _Rukia noted to herself, making sure that she doesn't miss any important information.

It felt like the tour was going to last forever, because apparently there were two houses. The main front that they entered a while ago was the main front for servants. Nobles and guests never go through that door. The already huge house that Rukia was staying in was only the house for servants and guards. It had the shared bathrooms that Unohana mentioned earlier, and it also had a kitchen with a huge dining room. They really treated their servants well. There were many individual rooms, and there was even a small library, just in case they wanted to relax in a quiet place. Servants were allowed to walk around the gardens during their free time, but they weren't allowed to go to the nobles' gardens. Also, the servants and guards' house had a small common room just in case they wanted to hang around and chit chat. It was like a family room pretty much. From the looks of it, Rukia knew that she would get lost if they left her alone. There were many hallways and turns, and this was just the servant's house.

"Don't worry Rukia-san, it won't take long for you to get a hang around this place." Hanatarou reassured, remembering how overwhelmed he felt on his first day. He knew that Rukia must have been feeling the same way.

After touring around the servant and guard's quarters, Unohana led them to a big door. She opened it up and let them through. It led outside, on the other side of the house that is. A bridge was in front of them, and the bridge connected them to the other house across.

"This is where the nobles stay, and I'm warning you Rukia-san, this house is much bigger than the one we stay in." Unohana said, as they all gazed across the bridge.

To Rukia, crossing over the bridge felt like entering a different world. The setting just seemed so dramatic. Petals from cherry blossom trees were falling on them, and the sun made it look like the house was glowing. When they finally reached the other end, another door stood in front of them, and Unohana once again opened it. As soon as she opened it, she immediately bowed down, and Hanatarou followed. Feeling like she had to do the same thing, Rukia bowed too.

"Permission to enter!" requested Unohana, still bowing down. Rukia didn't really understand what was going on at the moment.

"Permission granted." replied a man. He was wearing an armband, indicating that he must be the guard watching over this entrance.

Unohana, Hanatarou and Rukia all entered, and the guard closed the door behind them.

"You must always bow down and ask for permission to enter Rukia-san, otherwise, it'd be rude if you didn't. This is the nobles' house after all." Unohana said, and Rukia just nodded. It made more sense now. _'Does everything have to be this formal though?' _she asked herself, thinking that she'd have to bow each time she passes through this door, but hoping that she wouldn't have to. Yes, she hoped with all her heart that she wouldn't have to come to this part of the manor. _''And it would be awkward if I see him again...' _Rukia thought. She was convinced that he'd remember what she looked like. After all, they gazed into each other's eyes for a while...

When Rukia came from her thoughts, she noticed that Unohana and Hanatarou were already steps away, so she walked quickly to catch up with them. The second part of the tour now began, and it did take longer than the tour from the first house. The nobles' house was much bigger indeed. They all had bigger rooms there since everyone had their own personal baths, and the kitchen was twice as big as the one in the servant's quarters. They had three dining rooms, which Rukia thought to be quite pointless since each dining room was already big enough on its own, and the library was much bigger too, with a wide range of selections. Rukia just really wanted to grab a book and sit down to read instead of taking this long tour. Besides that, there was a party hall, an office with a long table for business meetings or discussions, and finally, the hallway where Byakuya-sama dwells. He owned his own hallway in the house. This hallway occupied his room, his personal bath, his personal office, and his personal mini-library. They really treated him like a king. _'Everything seems so... personal...'_ she thought.

After what felt like hours, the tour was finally over, and they all went back to the servant's quarters.

"Well then, since the tour is over, all that's left is to tell you what your job is Rukia-san." Unohana said while smiling. Rukia forgot to ask about that. She really did wonder what her job was. Was she going to cook? Or do the house's laundry? Does she have to do the dusting and sweeping or anything of the sort? There wasn't much options, since her job was just being a maid. Surely it was just some type of chore that she had to do.

"Rukia-san, your job is to become Byakuya-sama's personal maid."

_'Huh?' _Did she hear that right?_ 'Personal maid? For Byakuya-sama?'_ At the moment, Rukia didn't care what type of facial expression she was showing, she was just shocked. _'Personal... maid...'_ she repeated in her head. Byakuya-sama owned his own hallway, had his own large bath, owned his own office, and had his own library, and now, he had his own personal maid! What she thought earlier was right, everything did seem personal...


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry that this chapter took a while to be posted! I've been working a lot lately since you know, it was Christmas and stuff and yeah, had lots of shifts at work. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy. I made it a bit longer this time. Just a bit though! Yeah, I'm not capable of writing any more longer than this. Sorry about that! I should be able to post a chapter once a week at least, so please be patient. Thank you for reading and for the reviews! Happy New Year too!!!

Rukia stood nervously in front of Byakuya-sama's office, with Unohana beside her. She's supposed to introduce herself to him and let him know that she will be his personal maid. She felt butterflies in her stomach and she couldn't stand perfectly still. She held her head down and watched as her fingers played around with the cloth of her kimono. She wasn't ready for this...

"Come in." said a deep voice from inside, and Unohana opened the shoji doors to let Rukia and herself in. After they were both completely inside and the door was closed behind them, Byakuya looked up too see who has interrupted his work.

Rukia and Unohana both bowed down before speaking. "Sorry for the intrusion Byakuya-sama, but I felt that it was needed for you to be introduced to your maid." Unohana said with a stern face.

Byakuya just stared at them with no expression. He didn't say anything, and looked back down to his work once again, so Rukia thought that it should be fine for her to speak.

"I'm Rukia Kuchicki, and I'm honored to have this position, Byakuya-sama. I will not disappoint you." Rukia said, while staring at him. She noticed that he wasn't looking at her at all. Instead, he continued to look at his papers. He still had no expressions.

"I do not need your help for tonight, so report to me tomorrow morning and I should have something for you to do. You are dismissed." Byakuya replied, and with that, Unohana and Rukia gave a final bow before leaving.

Byakuya was left alone in his office once again, and thought about Rukia for a moment. _'It was the same girl from the gardens, but why couldn't I look at her just now?' _

_In Rukia's Room..._

Rukia lay down in bed, thinking about what just happened. She never thought for him to have been that cold. He seemed more approachable when they were in the gardens. _'Well obviously he seemed more approachable, it was because we were gazing into each other's eyes...' _Rukia then put a halt to those thoughts. _'What am I thinking? He was probably just staring at me because I didn't look familiar. Either that or my presence disturbed him while he was walking around. That's probably it.' _she thought. She tried to convince herself that their meeting of gazes in the garden was nothing big. _'It was nothing big at all...'_

The next morning, Rukia dressed up in her uniform once again, and waited in her room for Hanatarou to pick her up. She still needed someone to guide her around the house. There was no way that she could get to Byakuya-sama's office without getting lost.

She heard a tap on her door and immediately she opened it to be greeted by Hanatarou. "Good morning Rukia-san. I take it that you're ready to work today?" he said with a smile. He looked very energetic. _'He must be a morning person.' _Rukia told herself, not knowing anyone else who had that much energy in the morning.

Hanatarou brought her to Byakuya-sama's hallway and wished her luck before leaving. Indeed Rukia needed some luck because for some reason, she felt that today wouldn't be such a good day. She tapped on his office door and waited for a response. She waited a few minutes, but a respond never came. She tapped on the door once again, and she still didn't hear anyone's voice from inside. Not knowing what she had to do, she let herself in. After entering the office, she closed the doors behind her and saw Byakuya-sama fast asleep with head resting on the desk, using his arms as a pillow. He looked very peaceful, and it looked as if he wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

_'Should I wake him up?' _Rukia asked herself. Well, if he wasn't awake, how was he going to give her any orders? So she decided that she would. She just hoped that he wouldn't get angry or anything like that at her. She walked closer to the desk and watched his sleeping face. She really wished that she didn't have to do this, because he looked pretty comfortable. She nudged him a bit on the shoulder, but he didn't move, so she inched her face closer to his and whispered his name.

"Byakuya-sama..." she whispered, while nudging his shoulder softly. "Byakuya-sama, it's morning now..." she whispered once again, and Byakuya opened his eyes.

He was awake the first moment he heard his name being called. The way his name was being whispered was so soft, that he wanted to see who was calling him. He really wanted to know who it was. So he opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was purple. He saw beautiful, dark purple eyes, looking at him. It was the same girl from the gardens, it was his maid. He couldn't help but look at her.

Rukia jumped back after noticing how close her face was to his, and after seeing that he was already awake. She was now a bit embarrassed. "Oh, good morning Byakuya-sama. It's already morning, but you were still asleep, so I decided to wake you. I'm sorry if I've bothered you in anyway." she said right away, to cover her embarrassment.

"Hn." was all that Byakuya said. He wondered why he let himself get caught in such a situation. He would usually be awake whenever someone would come to bother him in his office early in the morning. No one has ever caught him asleep on a desk like today. _'I must be really tired.' _was all he thought.

"Please get my breakfast prepared in the dining room while I bathe." he added, while heading for the door. Rukia bowed to him when he passed her, and he was gone.

The only trouble that Rukia has now, was getting to the kitchen. She knew that she had some time to get there, but Byakuya-sama wasn't going to be bathing forever. She has to get there to prepare his breakfast and set it down neatly on the dining table. She really didn't have that much time. She couldn't afford to get lost. She left the office and started to walk out of his hallway. After that, she didn't know which way to turn. She just followed her instincts and turned to whichever hallway she felt was right. She wasn't sure at all as to where she was heading. She needed to ask someone for directions.

To her luck, she saw a man walk past her. He was an odd one though, because she saw that he had red hair and tattoos on his face. He also wore an armband, reminding Rukia that he was a guard, so he needed to be treated with respect since she was just a lowly servant. She turned to the direction he was heading and started to follow him. He was walking pretty fast, so she had to jog a bit.

"Excuse me!" Rukia said to the man, while still following him. She tried her best to be polite, but she guessed that he didn't hear her since he didn't turn his head at all or acknowledged her presence. He just continued to walk.

"EXCUSE ME!" Rukia repeated, now with a louder voice, but he still didn't turn around. Now she was losing her patience. It was either he didn't hear her or he was ignoring her purposely. So she decided to go to her last resort. She wasn't going to be polite anymore...

"YOU THERE! WEIRD EYEBROWS-SAN!" she yelled. She didn't care if he was wearing an armband or not. She really needed his help, and by calling him that, she knew that she'd immediately catch his attention. He stopped on his tracks and turned his head right away. It looked like he was about to knock out the person who called him that.

"What did you call me?!" he asked her, looking incredibly angry. He was turning red from the looks of it.

"Well, I had to get your attention somehow! You were ignoring me!" Rukia retorted, not feeling bad at all that she called this man by such a rude name.

The man looked her over, checking out her uniform. He then changed his expression to a cocky smile. "Heh. You're not wearing anything special, which means that you must be just a servant! Look here, you're probably new since you obviously didn't know that a person like me, who is wearing an armband, should be treated with respect! I'll let you off the hook this time. My name is Abarai Renji by the way, and if you apologize to me now, I would gladly consider you as a friend." he said, still holding his arrogant expression.

Rukia hated the way this guy was acting. There was no way that she would apologize! "Well, Abarai Renji, I was quite well aware that your position is higher than mine, but I decided to call you 'Weird Eyebrows-san' because I thought that the name suited you better. My name's Rukia Kuchiki by the way. Glad to meet you. Now, could you help me find the kitchen in this house?" she said, while smiling at him. It was her fake smile of course.

Renji immediately lost his arrogant expression and went back to his angry face. "Why should I help you?! You just called me by that name purposely again!" he fumed. He was really ticked off now that a servant was treating him this way.

"It's because..." Rukia started. "If I don't get to the kitchen soon, Byakuya-sama wouldn't be able to have his breakfast. I need to prepare it for him!" she said, with a serious face this time. She made it sound as if giving Byakuya-sama his breakfast was the most important thing in the world right now, which is probably true.

"Huh? Why would you have to prepare his breakfast? Unless... OH!" Realization hit Renji in the face as he thought about the duties of Byakuya-sama's newly assigned personal maid. _'Oh right! He has a personal maid now, and this must be the girl...' _he thought to himself.

"Fine, I'll lead you the way. We wouldn't want to disappoint Byakuya-sama." Renji said, as he started to walk to the direction of the kitchen with Rukia following. "Although I really hate you." he added.

"I hate you too, Weird Eyebrows-san!" Rukia replied, smiling her fake smile once again.

Renji didn't even want to talk to her, she was so rude. Although he had to admit to himself, she was cute. She was full of energy too, and she wasn't afraid of his position. _'Agh! What am I thinking? She's so annoying! No worries, once I leave her in the kitchen, I'll have my peace again.' _he thought, as they reached the doors to the kitchen.

"There! Behind the door is the kitchen! I'll be leaving you now." Renji said as he started to walk away.

"Thank you Renji-san!" Rukia said. Deep inside, she was truly grateful that he helped her out, even though he wasn't nice. Because if he hadn't help her, she was sure that she was going to get fired.

Renji just turned his head a bit and smiled while continuing to walk away. He was content that she called him by his real name, and in all honestly, he would want to meet her again in the future and get to know her better. She was a different one...

Rukia opened the door to the kitchen and saw a bunch of plates on the table with already prepared meals on them. She guessed that all she had to do was set up the dining room, and so she did with the help of a couple of chefs. She didn't realize that she didn't have to cook. Of course they'd have chefs though, since there was no way that the Kuchiki clan would have a non-professional cook their meals.

After the table was completely set up, Rukia just stood behind the chair that Byakuya-sama was going to sit on, and waited for him to come. He came just a couple of minutes later, dressed in his haori and kenseikan. Rukia bowed to him as soon as he came in and greeted him. He ate in silence, and Rukia just stood there, also in silence. _'Is everyday going to be like this?' _Rukia asked herself. It also seemed odd to her that Byakuya-sama ate on his own on this very long dining table. She thought that the other nobles would at least join him, but it wasn't that way she guessed. _'I wonder if they're distant to each other...' _she thought.

Byakuya stood up all of a sudden without warning, and started to head over to the dining room exit. "Come to my office after you've cleared the table." he said to Rukia, giving her a short glance, and then leaving right away. Rukia did as she was told and put away his dishes in the kitchen. She tried to remember the hallways that she and Renji passed going to the kitchen, so that she'd find her way back to his office. Luckily, she didn't get lost. She found her way back and tapped on the doors once again. She entered the room when she heard him say, "Come in." She bowed once again, and walked closer to his desk.

"I'll be leaving today to go to Kuchiki Corp." he said, while packing his briefcase with a bunch of papers from his table. "There really isn't much for you to do, though I would like for you to put away whatever books there are in this room to my library. I also want these stack of papers placed and organized in that file cabinet over there." he added, pointing to the stack of papers he left on his desk and then to the filing cabinet at the corner of the room. There really wasn't much for her to do at all...

"I'll be home by six, so have my dinner ready by then." he said, after closing his briefcase, and then he left the room right away. Rukia stood alone in his office and looked around for books. She noticed that there were only around three of them to be put away in his library. _'I guess he keeps everything neat.' _she said to herself, as she also noticed that there weren't much papers to be put away either. After grabbing the three books that were on his desk, she left his office and headed over to his library. She was lucky that she knew where it was. It was right beside his office. It was really convenient for her because she wouldn't have to go through hallways and get lost once again.

While heading over to his library, she saw him leave his room, dressed in a casual suit. He wasn't wearing his kenseikan or haori, he was just dressed like a normal businessman. His hair fell a bit on his face, and it made him look more modern... and kind... if only he would smile though. _'If only he would smile, then he'd look so...' _Rukia stopped her thoughts immediately. She really wanted to slap herself for thinking that way. She bowed to him quickly as he passed and said, "Have a nice day at work, Byakuya-sama." He didn't reply to this of course, and just continued to walk. It was something that she should get used to.

After he was gone, Rukia headed to his library and put away the books. She went back to his office and organized the papers in the filing cabinet as he had ordered before, and after doing that, she realized that she had finished within an hour. It was only 11:00 am, and Byakuya-sama wasn't going to be back until 6:00 pm. What was she going to do to pass time? The office was clean, and so was the library. Everything was organized, and nothing was out of place. She didn't want to go into his room because she never got his permission to go there. _'I should probably explore around then...' _she thought. Which was probably a good idea so that she wouldn't get lost next time.

Rukia made sure that all of the doors in Byakuya-sama's hallway were closed before exploring around. She then left his hallway and made a turn. As soon as she turned though, she heard two people argue...

"No! I want to bring it to Ukitate-sama!!!" said a girl's voice, sounding as if she was struggling with someone.

"No! I'll bring it! Besides, he asked me to get it for him Kiyone!" replied a man's voice, also sounding as if he was struggling.

Rukia knew that something bad must be going just around the corner, so she followed the voices and turned to the hall where they were. When she got there, she saw a girl and a boy fighting over a bottle of pills. It seems that they haven't noticed her since they were still yelling at each other, oblivious to their surroundings. Rukia noticed that they weren't wearing any armbands or haoris, which means that they must be servants just like her. _'What are they doing here then, and shouting at each other too?' _she asked herself. She then wanted to make herself present to them because she didn't want any of them to get in trouble for being loud at the nobles' house. She walked closer to them, and tapped the girl on the shoulder. The girl turned her head right away and let go of the bottle of pills, handing it over to the man that was trying to take it from her. He toppled over of course, hitting the wall behind him, causing a huge racket, with the bottle of pills still in his hands.

"Oi! What was that for Kiyone?! It seriously hurts!!!" he shouted, obviously upset.

"Shhh!!! We're in the nobles' home!" Rukia replied, worried that a noble must have heard their racket, and afraid that they might get in trouble.

"Huh? Oh! Right! Sorry!" said the man, while trying to keep his voice down. He stood up after and took a good look at Rukia. She was a new face around here obviously, since he had never seen her before. "Who are you anyway?" he asked her.

"Yeah, who are you?!" added the girl, also curious about this raven-haired girl.

"I'm Rukia. I'm a new servant here." Rukia replied.

"Well then Rukia-san, I'm Kotetsu Kiyone, and this guy over here is Kotsubaki Sentarou. We're servants in this house too! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Kiyone replied, looking happy. She then turned to the man. "Well Sentarou, since you have the bottle now, go bring it to Ukitate-sama! He needs to take his medication!" she added.

"Oh right! I'll skip ahead of you then! Nice meeting you, Rukia-san." he replied, then ran off to the end of the hallway and made a turn.

"Really now, that guy! What am I going to do with him?" sighed Kiyone. "Anyway, so you're new here right? What are you doing in the nobles' home? Are you a cook? Are you doing laundry? Will you be doing the sweeping and stuff?" she asked, wanting to know more about Rukia.

"Well, umm, I'm Byakuya-sama's personal maid." Rukia replied. After she replied though, what she received from Kiyone were wide eyes of surprise.

"What?! Seriously?! Personal maid?! Wow! That means you must be getting paid more than me. Heh, I'm so jealous! But it's okay I guess, because along with Sentarou, I'm also a personal servant for Ukitate-sama!" Kiyone said, still full of energy.

"Who is Ukitate-sama?" Rukia asked, curious about the new character. He was obviously a noble too, but Rukia wondered to herself if every noble in the house had their own personal maids or servants.

"Oh, you don't know Ukitate-sama?! Well, he's the most wonderful man you'll ever meet! He's so kind and caring and so strong! Anyway, do you want to meet him? You can come with me since I'm headed over to his room anyway!" Kiyone replied, grabbing Rukia's hand and pulling her to the direction that Sentrou went.

"Ah, wait, I don't think that it's appropriate! I'm only a servant here!" Rukia said. She was trying to get Kiyone to let go of her, but Kiyone just wouldn't budge, she continued to pull Rukia.

"Nonsense! I'm sure that Ukitate-sama would love to meet a new friend! Don't worry, he's not scary at all!" Kiyone replied. Now Rukia was getting anxious because she was sure that Ukitate-sama was going to be like Byakuya-sama, and Rukia realized that there was no way she could escape Kiyone's tight grip on her. _'I guess I'll just introduce myself formally and then leave.' _Rukia thought. Kiyone continued to pull her until they reached a door. Kiyone knocked, still not letting go of Rukia's hand, and Sentarou opened the door.

"You sure are slow!" he said to Kiyone, and then let the both of them in. When they were all inside, Kiyone finally let go of Rukia's hand and bowed down the person on the bed. Rukia also did the same thing, and after bowing she looked up and got a better look of the man on the bed. He had long white hair, and he also wore a haori. He looked pretty sick. His skin was very pale, and his eyes looked tired, yet he smiled at Rukia.

"Hello there. I'm Jyuushiro Ukitate." he said, still smiling, and then coughed a bit after.

"Ah, I'm Rukia Kuchiki, personal maid to Byakuya-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you Ukitate-sama." Rukia said, while her eyes were lowered. To her, he seemed kind and warm, unlike Byakuya-sama, who was very cold.

"What? You last name is Kuchiki?! Aren't you a noble then?! Why are you a servant? Did you kill someone? Are you being punished?" Kiyone asked, surprised to hear Rukia's last name, but she was making too much of a big deal out of it.

"Ahaha, of course she's not a noble Kiyone. It's just a coincidence isn't it, Rukia-chan?" Ukitate said, knowing that Rukia wasn't a noble. Rukia just nodded. Ukitate noticed that she wasn't comfortable at all at the moment. "You don't have to be nervous around us Rukia-chan, because even I'm not that much of a noble. I'm just a distant relative of Byakuya-sama's." Ukitate added.

"Yeah, don't be nervous! Ukitate-sama doesn't really care about the whole formality thing, and that's why Kiyone here always causes so much ruckus." Sentarou laughed.

"Hey! I'm not the only one! You make a lot of noise too!" Kiyone retorted, and Rukia just smiled. They seemed like a family to each other, and this reminded her of her friends. Ukitate was also smiling at his two servants, and then turned to Rukia.

"Rukia-chan, you must be busy at the moment. I apologize for Kiyone and Sentarou's behavior. You may leave if you wish." Ukitate told her, as Kiyone and Sentarou continued to fight at one corner of the room.

"Umm, I'm actually not buys at all. Byakuya-sama went to work, and he didn't give me much to do. I have the entire day to myself." Rukia replied, feeling a bit at ease knowing that Ukitate-sama wasn't so scary.

"Oh, is that so? What do you plan on doing for the day then?" Ukitate asked.

"I wanted to explore around the house, so that I'd be able to find my way next time... without getting lost..." Rukia replied, with the last part of the sentence turning into a whisper. She didn't want to admit that she was making mistakes, even though the reason for that was because she was new. Ukitate just smiled at her. He got the impression that she was the determined type. He had a feeling that somehow, in some way, Rukia would be able to change Byakuya-sama. It was just a feeling though.

Ukitate released a yawn. "Well then, I'm feeling really sleepy... You should get going, Rukia-chan, since there's nothing for you to do here and take a good look around the house. You should be able to meet more people." he said, while starting to lay down on his bed. "It was a pleasure meeting you by the way. Come by again the future."

"It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Ukitate-sama. Nice meeting you too Kiyone-san, and Sentarou-san." Rukia said, taking a final bow to Ukitate before leaving the room.

"Come by again okay, Rukia-san?" Kiyone said. "Yeah, it was a good meeting you." Sentarou added.

With that, Rukia left, closing the doors behind her, and as Ukitate was about to fall asleep, he thought to himself. _'I hope that you will be able to change Byakuya, Rukia-chan...'_


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: No, I have not abandoned my story. I'm sorry everyone if you feel that I have taken a while to write the next chapter. It's because school and work have both been crazy lately, and I'm just trying to survive right now. I love writing this story, so don't worry about me discontinuing it or whatever. It's just going to take me longer to post up future chapters. I'll try my best to get my new chapters in, so please do not assume that I have decided to abandon my fanfiction. This chapter wasn't written so well either, just to warn you.

_Chapter 7_

It took Rukia all afternoon to memorize the different hallways in the Kuchiki house. Most of the time, she'd go to some hallway and then find her way back to Byakuya-sama's office. For sure she won't be able to get lost now. She'd be able to find Byakuya-sama's hallway wherever she was.

She realized how hungry she was when her stomach grumbled. _'I guess I should be getting back to the servant's house and grab something to eat.' _She headed for the nobles' house exit, but realized that she must have exited the wrong way, because for some reason, she couldn't see the bridge that lets her cross over to the servant's house, or see the servant's house in fact. All she could see was a small house across from her. There were only stepping stones and plants around her. She then realized that she didn't know her way completely yet. Rukia sighed to herself. '_Well, since I'm here, might as well check out that place.' _She decided that she'll just eat later after seeing what was in the small house. Well, at least it was small compared to the other two houses. It didn't seem too small to her though.

As she walked on the stepping stones and got nearer to the mini-house, she heard wooden swords clashing together. She could hear feet shuffling when she got even closer. When she was right in front of the door, she could hear people talking. _'I probably shouldn't bother them then.' _she said to herself, and then started to turn around to leave. But as she was about to walk away, the door slammed open, and a bald man hit her shoulder with his as he stormed past her.

"Stupid kid... Always thinks he's so good!" he said aloud to himself, not noticing that he hit someone at all. He just continued to walk away. Rukia had to squint her eyes a bit as she looked at the man storming away, because his head was reflecting the sun into her eyes. She really wanted to yell at him for being rude, but he was too far ahead already that she knew her voice wouldn't reach him. Besides, he was having a conversation with himself.

"Man, Ikkaku sure is pissed." said a woman.

"Yeah, well, it was probably because Hitsugaya-sama went all out on him without warning." said another's voice. It was a man this time.

Curious about who was talking, Rukia decided to take a peek inside the house, since the door was widely open anyway. Bad idea though, because they spotted her as soon as she took a peek.

"Oh, it looks like we have a guest." said one man. He was wearing a hat and sandals, and he was holding up a fan to cover his mouth.

"Hi there. I've never seen you before. Are you new here?" said another man. He had silky black hair that was just at the level of his jaw, and had one very elaborate eyebrow.

Rukia freaked out for a moment, and then took a bow, noticing that everyone in the room had higher positions than her. "Umm... yes, I'm Rukia, a new servant." she replied, still bowing her head.

"No need to be so formal Rukia-chan! I'm Shihouin Yoruichi! I'm the vice-head of the guards! I like to take it easy around here, since I believe that everyone is my equal!" said the woman with purple hair.

"Indeed, it doesn't matter if you're a servant. I'm Ayasegawa Yumichika, by the way. I'm just a guard here, and a chef every once in a while for the servant and guard's house." added the man with the elaborate eyebrow.

"And I'm Urahara Kisuke, head of the guards. I don't care for formalities either, so don't worry about it." said the hat and sandal guy, putting his fan down. "The bald guy who you probably saw leave just a second ago is Madarame Ikkaku, he's a guard here too, and he's incredibly rude and impatient. He hates to lose too. Just to let you know at least." he added. Well, Rukia already knew that Ikkaku was rude because of the way he treated her earlier.

After hearing an introduction from everyone, she scanned the room for a second, and noticed that another person was inside. He was at the corner of the room, wiping his face with a towel. He had white hair, and he looked awfully young. Yoruichi also scanned the room and noticed that they had failed to introduce one more person.

"Oh! By the way Rukia-chan, that's Hitsugaya Toushiro-sama! He's a noble, but you just can't tell right now because he's in his training outfit." said Yoruichi. She then turned her head to the direction where he was, and yelled out. "Oi, Shiro-chan, come here and introduce yourself!"

Rukia was surprised that Yoruichi would call a noble that. Wouldn't he get angry for being shown such disrespect? The young noble then walked up to where everyone was and replied to Yoruichi. "Don't call me that! It's Toushiro-sama or Hitsugaya-sama to you!"

"Don't be so angry Hitsugaya-sama. You know how Yoruichi-san is!" piped up Yumichika. "Anyway, this is Rukia-chan, a new servant in the house." he then turned to Rukia. "What's your job anyway? You haven't mentioned yet."

Rukia was now starting to get tired of telling others what her job was. "I'm Byakuya-sama's personal maid." was all she said, and as expected, more surprised looks from other people.

"Really now! Byakuya-sama's personal maid? It must be harsh." Urahara said, opening up his fan again to cover his face.

"Urahara, watch your words. Don't talk about Byakuya-sama that way." Toushiro said. "Anyway, since Ikkaku left, who's going to train with me? My time's not done yet." he then mentioned.

"Yumichika can train with you for now." Yoruichi replied, and Yumichika looked like he was taken aback. "Uh... alright, I'll train with Hitsugaya-sama. Just please don't be so harsh like you were with Ikkaku." Yumichika said, as he moved to the centre of the floor with Toushiro.

For a moment, Rukia was curious. Why would they be tranining with wooden swords, and for what exactly? She'd understand if it was unarmed combat since they were guards and they had to be experts at self-defense. Swords didn't make sense though. It's not like anyone's going to attack them with such a weapon nowadays.

"Yoruichi-san, why would they be training with swords?" Rukia finally asked. She was sure that it's no harm to feed her curiosity.

"Well, it's because every young noble member of the house usually enter competitions. Kendo, Karate, and such. Byakuya-sama also entered a bunch of competitions when he was Shiro-chan's age. He was champion every single time of course, because he received special training from me and Urahara! We're just preparing Shiro-chan for his battles. He's actually progressing pretty well." Yoruichi replied.

Rukia watched as Yumichika and Hitsugaya-sama fight. Their swords were clashing loudly, and they moved around the floor quickly. Rukia was amazed, because if this was just a training session, she wondered how a real fight would look.

"He's still a long way from Byakuya-sama's level." said Urahara. He then clapped his hands, signaling Yumichika and Hitugaya-sama to stop. "Hitsugaya-sama, I think that you need to go over Byakuya-sama's competition videos once again. You tend to leave openings for the opponent. Just watch his movements carefully and you'll see where your flaws are."

"Alright, fine." replied Hitsugaya. He then picked up his stuff from the corner of the room and left.

"Hmm, I'm getting very hungry! Let's go back to the servant's quarters." said Yumichika, sounding exhausted.

"Oh, do you mind if I come with you? Because I still don't know my way around the house. I ended up here by mistake." Rukia said, and then her stomach grumbled. She blushed deeply after that.

"Ahahaha! I guess you're hungry too Rukia-chan! It's alright, you can come with us!" Yoruichi exclaimed, and they all started to head over to the servants' house.

Rukia once again tried to memorize the hallways leading to the exit of the house. It wasn't that complicated actually, and now she scolded herself for not getting it right the first time, though, if she hadn't made the mistake of exiting the wrong way earlier, she wouldn't have met the people she's walking with right now.

When they finally entered the servants' house, they bumped into Hanatarou. "Hello everyone! Oh, Rukia-chan, you've already met a bunch of people, and on your first day too!" he greeted, while carrying a bunch of white sheets on his arms.

"Hanatarou, do you know if there's any food in the kitchen? We're all so hungry!" Yoruichi asked.

"Umm, well, I think that we do have a lot of leftovers since not much people showed up during lunch time. Ikkaku-san is actually in the dining room right now too, having a meal. You should join him. He looked pretty upset." Hanatarou replied. "Well, I still have to bring these clean sheets to the nobles' house. I'll see you guys later." he said, and rushed away to the exit.

"I hope that Ikkaku isn't too angry." Yumichika said, as they all walked over to the dining room. "Stress is what caused him to go bald." he added.

"You mean male-patterned baldness is what caused him to go bald, Yumichika." replied Urahara to the comment.

"Well, stress made him go bald early." Yumichika retorted.

"I think he was bald all his life." Yoruichi added, not wanting to miss out on the conversation. Everyone just nodded except for Rukia, who thought that the conversation was odd.

They all finally reached the dining room, and saw Ikkaku eating and drinking sake. There was someone else at the table too, and it was the tattoo faced guy that Rukia met earlier, Renji.

"Hey baldy! Is there any food left? Oh, and Renji's here too!" Yoruichi said as a greeting.

"Isn't it a little too early for drinking, Ikkaku?" asked Urahara, and Ikkaku just continued to drink, still looking angry and upset.

"What's up with him anyway?" asked Renji.

"Hitsugaya-sama made him look like a fool during training." sighed Yumichika. "Get over it Ikkaku! You can try beating him next time!" he added, as he sat on his seat with the others.

"Well, I'll go and grab the food in the kitchen while you guys settle down." said Urahara, after seeing that everyone was heading to their seats, and left.

Rukia and Renji sat across from each other, and stared at each other for a bit. Both looked kind of annoyed and angry. "Why are looking at me like that?" asked Rukia to Renji, looking him straight in the eye.

"Uh... have you guys met each other before or something?" asked Yoruichi, who sat beside Rukia.

"Yes, and it was quite an unpleasant meeting." replied Rukia, still looking at Renji with angry eyes.

"It was your fault! Why are you the angry one anyway?! I should be the one who's angry! You haven't even apologized yet!" exclaimed Renji, turning red from anger already.

"I already told you before, I called you by that name because I thought that it suited you." said Rukia, just looking serious.

Just as Renji was about to speak, Urahara burst into the room carrying plates of food. It looked like he was about to drop them, but it got to the table safely.

"Man, that was quick! And man, that's a lot!" said Ikkaku, slurring a bit. It was obvious that he was already drunk.

"Well, the food was already prepared, and I think it's enough." said Urahara, as he sat down beside Yoruichi.

They all grabbed food and started to eat, but they did not eat in silence at all. They entertained themselves actually by listened to Ikkaku complain about Hitsugaya-sama. Everyone also listened to Yumichika as he started to fret over his hair, and how it's been drying lately, and how he should use conditioner more often. Yoruichi and Urahara were talking about Hitsugaya-sama and how he can improve more with his skills.

Rukia looked over to Renji, he was still obviously angry at her. "Look, can't we just forget our first meeting and start over? You know, just try to get along?" Rukia asked Renji.

"Fine." replied Renji. "I'm not even really that angry anyway." he added.

Rukia just smiled at him, and Renji grinned a bit back. "So, how's your first day been? Besides the whole getting lost scenario thing this morning." he asked. The others at the table were in their own conversations, so no one was listening in on them.

"It's been kinda boring. Byakuya-sama left for work after he ate breakfast, and he didn't leave me much to do." replied Rukia. "Although I did meet a bunch of people today. Pretty much everyone at this table I met by accident because I got lost. I also met Hitsugaya-sama, Ukitate-sama, Kiyone-san, and Sentarou-san." she added.

"That sounds like a busy day to me." Renji laughed. "Anyway, get used to Byakuya-sama not giving you much to do, because he does the same thing to me all the time."

Rukia just gave him a look, so he continued. "You see, I'm supposed to be his personal assistant and body guard. My job is to run errands for him inside and outside of the house, you know, send files or whatever paperwork, but he does that himself almost all the time, so I'm pretty much left with nothing to do on most days. I get pretty busy though whenever he leaves for international business trips, because I have to go to Kuchiki Corp. and make sure that the files and paperwork are done. I'm even trained pretty well with self-defense and such, but so is he, so I'm also not very needed as a body guard." Renji said as he sighed.

"Oh wow. But I find my job pretty useless too. All I have to do is clean, when there's nothing to clean or organize." said Rukia.

"Well, yeah, your job must be pretty boring too." said Renji, and then realized that Byakuya-sama will be arriving in a bit. "Oh, shouldn't you be preparing his dinner soon? He'll be home at six right?" asked Renji.

"Why, what time is it?" Rukia asked, honestly nearly forgetting that she had to prepare Byakuya-sama's dinner.

Renji pulled out his cellphone from his hakama pants pocket, and looked at the time. For a second, Rukia thought that he looked funny, because holding a cellphone while wearing traditional clothing didn't mix right. It looked out of place.

"It's five-thirty." he said.

Rukia stood up from her seat right away after hearing Renji's response. "What?!" asked Rukia, with a look of surprise and worry on her face. "Well, I better get going now. Thanks Renji-san. It was nice meeting all of you too!" she said to them as she was about to head over to the exit.

She walked as fast as she could to the nobles' home, and after entering there, she quickly headed over to the kitchen. _'Ugh, I should be more aware of the time.' _she scolded herself. She even brought her cellphone too to make sure that she knew what time it was, she just forgot about it. She looked at the time. _'Good, I still have twenty more minutes. His meal should be cooked by now.' _she thought to herself as she walked into the kitchen. As she expected, Byakuya-sama's meal was already prepared. She just had to put it on the dining table and wait for him like she did this morning. After that was done, she still had ten minutes to spare. She sighed in relief. She honestly thought that she was going to be late.

As she waited for him, she reflected on the day's events. She hadn't realized that time actually passed by so quickly. It honestly seemed like it was going to be a long day. She met so many people, and wondered if she was going to meet more of them the next day, or throughout her stay.

She stood behind the seat where he was supposed to sit for a while now. When she checked the time on her phone, it was already 6:20 pm, but Byakuya-sama wasn't there yet. She then decided to look for him in his office. When she got there, she tapped on the door, and heard him say "Come in." He really was in there. Rukia opened the door and saw him sitting at his desk, typing away on his laptop. She bowed to him, and he looked up.

"Welcome home, Byakuya-sama. Your dinner is already prepared in the dining room." Rukia said.

"I'll be eating soon." he said to her, and then went back to typing. "You are dismissed for today so you may go back to your room if you wish. Just report back here tomorrow morning." he added.

"Of course. Have a good night then Byakuya-sama." said Rukia. She took another bow and then left the room. Once she was outside, she could hear Byakuya-sama coughing. It sounded like he was getting sick, but she dismissed it and just went back to her room...


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I'm so so so sorry that it took me a while to update! I've just been really really really busy lately and yeah. Anyway, thank you once again everyone for the reviews and thank you for reading! This chapter's going to be a bit short. Sorry about that. Anyway, here it is! Enjoy!

_Chapter 8_

The next two days were the same for Rukia. She had absolutely nothing to do and just continued with her explorations once again around the manor. She helped out in the kitchen and with cleaning every once in a while and hung around with Renji whenever she saw him. The past two days has also been the same for Byakuya-sama. He wakes up, eats, gets dressed, goes to work, comes home, has dinner, and then locks himself in his office until late at night. Rukia still wondered to herself if things were always going to be this way.

When Byakuya-sama came home that night, he just had dinner and went straight to his office after. After putting away his dishes, Rukia followed. When she entered his office she saw him typing away in his laptop and noticed piles of papers on his desk. _'Finally, something for me to do.' _she said to herself. She walked towards his desk and bowed to him.

"I need you to put these papers away in the cabinet." he said, his voice sounding coarse and odd. He coughed a bit after talking.

"Yes, Byakuya-sama. Have you taken your medication though?" Rukia asked softly. The past two days have made Byakuya-sama worse. Rukia noticed some changes in him, like how he's been looking very tired lately and how his coughing got worse. He really was sick but he just won't take a break.

"Yes." was all he said without even looking at her. He just continued on with typing. Rukia knew he was lying because he's supposed to take it after breakfast and dinner, but she's never seen him take it once. The bottle of pills was always on his desk, unopened. The plastic wrapping was still on the lid. She was getting worried because he wasn't taking care of himself. She knew it wasn't anything severe, and that it was just a cold, but if he keeps on pushing himself too hard he might just burn out. Of course though, no one ever defies him or tells him what to do, so Rukia just let it be and picked up the pile of papers on his desk and proceeded to the cabinet at the corner of the room.

A few minutes have passed and all that Rukia could hear was the taps on the keyboard and Byakuya-sama's coughing. She just continued on with putting away the papers when all of a sudden she heard a thud. She turned around and saw books on the floor beside his desk. She saw Byakuya-sama's face and immediately turned around again, scared of his expression. He looked very frustrated. He was annoyed that he couldn't function properly due to his sickness. He didn't even bother to pick up the books he dropped. Rukia turned around again and saw that the books were still on the floor. She dropped what she was doing and went to pick up the books. When she put them on his desk, she saw that his face was buried in his arms on the desk.

"Um, Byakuya-sama?" Rukia started, trying to see if he was asleep. He just grunted to her in response, with his head still buried in his arms. "It's a little bit early, but I think you should take a rest and sleep." she continued. She just looked at him, trying to see if he was going to respond. He finally looked up to her and gazed into her eyes. What he said next was something she didn't expect.

"Don't look at me with those eyes... I get mesmerized each time."

His expression was serious, yet sincere, but his eyes also looked very tired. Rukia blushed deeply and turned around after he said this_. 'Is he serious?' _she asked herself, and tried her best to calm down. When she turned around once again to face him, she saw that his head was once again rested down on his arms. _'Maybe he was just sleep talking! That's right, he doesn't know what he's saying! It's just fatigue.' _Rukia reassured herself, embarrassed by what Byakuya-sama said. He looked really tired and so she decided that she would force him to sleep on his bed.

"Byakuya-sama..." she whispered to him. "Byakuya-sama... I think you should move to your bedroom." she added.

He sat up this time, and coughed. His face was very flushed and he was sweating a little. When he got up, he stumbled a little but Rukia held out one hand to his chest and one hand to his arm to keep him steady. He he grabbed onto her wrist. The one that was placed on his chest, and sat back down. He pulled her towards him, and rested his head on her chest. His one hand still held onto her wrist tightly while the other was placed on her back, pulling her closer.

Out of shock, Rukia raised her voice a little. "Bya-Byakuya-sama?!" she exclaimed. She was blushing deeply and she didn't know what to do. Thoughts were running in her head. _'Do I try to turn away?! What if someone sees us?!!!' _her thoughts screamed. She was about to protest to him and his actions when he spoke all of a sudden.

"Please, let me stay like this... Rukia..." he said with a coarse whisper. "I'm very tired..." he added, and coughed a bit. Rukia blushed even deeper. That was the very first time he ever said her name, and he said it so softly too. Rukia sighed inwardly and calmed down a bit. _'Well, he did say please.' _she said to herself. She then placed her free hand on his hair and stroked it. She knew that this method usually helped people to relax. She remembered how soothing the feeling was when her mother used stroke her hair to calm her down.

"Thank you." he said tiredly and then closed his eyes. Rukia could tell that he was now fast asleep because his breathing became steady. But she wondered to herself if they were going to stay like this the entire night. _'He's obviously deep asleep now. I can't wake him up.' _she said to herself, and just continued to stroke his hair.

_Later that night..._

Rukia didn't know what time it was at the moment, but she was sure it was very late. She was now also starting to fall asleep, but she knew she couldn't because Byakuya-sama was still resting on her chest. She was tired from standing, and tried to adjust herself so that she could lean on the desk instead of just standing on her own. She felt Byakuya-sama's head shift a little and tried to keep it in place. She successfully reached the desk and leaned her side a little to it. She sighed to herself once again. _'Byakuya-sama is usually so cold and distant, but today he acted so oddly. He was so needy. Is he usually like this when he's sick? I hope he doesn't remember what happened though.' _she thought to herself. She smiled a little bit too at the thought, and closed her eyes. She couldn't stand to keep them open anymore.

Rukia wondered if she really could fall asleep in her position. She barely had any support besides leaning her side against the desk, but she couldn't stand to be awake anymore. Her eyes were closed and her thoughts started to fade. A second later, her breathing became steady too, and she was now also asleep. Her hand still rested on Byakuya-sama's hair and his head still rested on her chest.

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Byakuya-sama awoke as soon as Rukia fell asleep. His head was spinning, and he felt very hot. He now admitted to himself that he was sick and needed rest. _'I should have taken my medication.' _he said to himself. He moved his head and looked up. He saw his maid's sleeping face and realized the position they were in. He noticed that one of his hands held onto her wrist while the other was placed on her lower back. He felt her hand on the back of his neck and she was just leaning her hip on his desk. _'What happened?' _he asked himself. _'I don't remember anything at all since dinner. And... why is she sleeping that way?' _he wondered. He checked the time on his laptop, it was still turned on and it was just beside Rukia's leaning figure. 2:40 am. _'Was I asleep for a while? Did she take care of me?' _He continued to ask himself questions but realized that he couldn't find any answers. He let go of her wrist but kept his other hand on her back to keep her balanced. She was fast asleep and he didn't want to wake her. He continued to watch her sleeping face and remembered bits of his dream...

_He was standing in the gardens with the scent of cherry blossoms surrounding him. He hears a soft voice calling his name and he turns to where the caller was. It was Rukia. She looked at him with those dazzling eyes again, and he was mesmerized by it. She smiles at him excitedly and he smiles back. It was such an unfamiliar feeling, but it felt good..._

That was all that he remembered from his dream. It was an odd dream, but it made him feel good. He felt Rukia shift a bit, and it looked like she couldn't keep that sleeping position anymore. He decided that she needed to lie down somewhere and carried her bridal style. He exited his office with her still in his arms. _'I don't know where her room is...' _he thought to himself. He then just decided to bring her to his room. After carrying her in, he placed her on his bed, and heard her whisper something.

"Why did you die...?" was what she whispered and the rest were mumbled. It was obvious that she was dreaming about something. Byakuya-sama was a bit surprised at the question but just let her be and headed back to his office. He rested his head on his desk, and once again fell asleep there...


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thanks for standing by and for being patient. Yeah, once again I've been busy and I have had very little chance to write. This chapter is a bit messy so please bear with me. Once again, thanks for the support and thanks for reading! Enjoy!

_Chapter 9_

Rukia awoke the next morning not knowing where she was. She looked around the room and was amazed by the extravagance of it. It was a big room with paintings on the walls, and outside the window was the most beautiful view of the garden. Rukia for a second thought that she must have still been dreaming, and was still in a daze. She rubbed her eyes gently, and realized that that it was not a dream. She got off the bed right away and thoughts started to hammer her head. _'Where am I!' _she thought. _'This isn't my room! Whose room is this!' _she asked herself, a little frantic. Then she remembered the events of the previous night. '_Okay, Byakuya-sama was sick and I took care of him.' _she thought to herself first, recalling the night, with a blush creeping up on her face. _'He uh... he fell asleep using my chest to rest his head, and I also fell asleep later on. But what am I doing here!' _she asked herself, still frantic, and still blushing. She doesn't remember ever leaving Byakuya-sama's office. 

She left the room in search of answers and saw that she was in Byakuya-sama's hallway. She was shocked by the fact that she was asleep in his bedroom and she wondered how she ended up there. _'I've gotta look for Byakuya-sama.' _she told herself and entered his office right away without knocking. He was in there, sitting at his desk, reading a book. He looked up as soon as he saw a figure walk in. 

"Byakuya-sama, why was I asleep in your bed and why are you here! You should be resting!" Rukia exclaimed. She then realized that she was showing disrespect and covered her mouth with her hands.

"I brought you to my bedroom because you fell asleep in my office. I am here, because you occupied my bedroom, and I have already rested." He replied, looking indifferent. His voice was still hoarse though of course.

"I'm very sorry Byakuya-sama, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. I was just shocked, and I... I'm disappointed in myself for not taking care of you..." Rukia said softly, still embarrassed about her outburst. 

Rukia's eyes were downcast while Byakuya-sama was looking at her. It was silent for a moment until he asked, "Last night... what happened last night?" Rukia looked up at this question, her face turning pink once again. "How did you fall asleep in here?" he continued.

"Um..." Rukia started, letting her eyes look down again. "You were sick Byakuya-sama, and you were very tired. I tried to help you to your bedroom, but you could barely stand up. You just sat back down on that chair and umm... you... you rested your head on my chest. After a while, I started to feel sleepy, and I guess I fell asleep in that position." Rukia replied, blushing furiously after struggling to explain what happened, and she of course, also edited out some parts. She tried to hide her embarrassment, but the color of her face was too obvious to miss. 

"Oh." Byakuya-sama replied. "When I woke up, you were asleep, so I carried you to my bedroom. I came back in here after." he continued. His expression wasn't really cold anymore. There was a hint of softness there. 

Rukia looked up and their gazes met. Her eyes were kind to him, and his eyes were fierce, yet welcoming. "Are you feeling better?" she asked him, with concern in her voice. "Yes." he replied, and silence filled the room again. Their gazes were still connected for a moment until he looked back down to his book. "You should go back to your room and refresh yourself. Come back when you're done." he said to her, and she bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her. 

_'What is this feeling?' _Byakuya-sama asked himself. _'Why does her gaze always get me mesmerized...'_

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Rukia headed back to her room at the servants' quarters, and after taking a shower, she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. After grabbing some food, she headed over to the dining room and saw Renji sitting there, drinking. 

"Hey!" he said, as she sat down across from him. "Where were you last night? The guys and I were hanging around, and Hanatarou said he would go get you from your room, but you weren't there." he asked her, with a little hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Ah, Byakuya-sama made me stay late because I had to organize papers in his library." Rukia lied, and then tried to shift the conversation away from that subject. "So... why are you here? Don't you ever work?" she asked him this time, perhaps trying to get on his nerves.

"Jeez, just because you don't see me work, doesn't mean I don't do anything. Later on I'll be in working mode, going to Kuchiki Corp to pick up some stuff for Byakuya-sama. He's not going to work today you know." Renji replied, sounding a bit irritated from Rukia's accusations.

"Wait, he's not going to work?" she asked, a bit nervous at the fact that she'll have to be around Byakuya-sama the entire day. Things were still a little bit awkward due to the previous night.

"Nope, he told me a while ago. He's sick. You should know that by now." Renji said. "Anyway, he said that I should bring you with me so that you'd at least see what the company was like." he continued. "You can't wear your house uniform though. You gotta wear something more professional than that." 

"Wiat, I'm coming with you! Byakuya-sama never told me anything!" Rukia exclaimed, feeling a bit excited that she was going to be able to see inside Kuchiki Corp, and also relieved that she didn't have to be around Byakuya-sama the entire day. But she was a bit worried though, that no one will be able to take care of him.

"Uh, yeah. I think he's going to tell you about it after you report to him, so go to him as soon as you finish eating. We have to leave in an hour." Renji replied. "I'll meet you at the servant's entrance then. See you later." He said, then got up and left the room.

Rukia finished eating as soon as Renji left and headed over to the Nobles' mansion. She walked briskly to Byakuya-sama's office and tapped on the door as soon as she arrived. When she heard "Enter." from him, she went inside and bowed to him. It seemed to Rukia that things were back to the way it was. It wasn't as awkward anymore. It was just the usual. 

He looked up from his book and said, "You'll be going with Renji to Kuchiki Corp to pick up some files for me." He took a piece of paper with some writing on it, stood up, and went over to Rukia. He stood in front of her and handed her the paper. On it was a list of names and beside it were numbers. Rukia didn't understand at all what it was for. Byakuya-sama leaned down, his face near hers and looked at the paper she was holding. 

"On the left side are names of the workers there. Beside each name is a file number." he pointed out. "You have to tell them what the file number is and pick it up for me. I need these to be brought back today, so don't take too long. " He told her, and then looked into her eyes. His face was so close to hers. Rukia was a bit surprised at how close he was. He stepped away right after realizing their closeness, and Rukia noticed color staining his cheeks. 

She tried to cover up their embarrassment by breaking the short silence. "Um... will that be all Byakuya-sama?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied, and sat back down on his chair and started reading. Rukia didn't want to leave yet. She wanted to make sure that he was going to be okay. She wanted to make sure that he was going to be taken care of while he was sick.

"Byakuya-sama... will you be alright?" she asked him. He looked up for a second. "Yes, I'll be alright by myself." he replied. "Um... okay... just make sure you drink your medicine and sleep some more. That should make you feel better." she said, and smiled. She bowed after and left the office. Byakuya-sama could barely understand what he was reading, because something (or someone) else was on his mind...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After getting dressed, Rukia headed over to the servant's entrance. She was wearing a short-sleeved white fitted dress shirt that had a little puff on the sleeves and a dark purple pencil skirt. She also wore black open-toed sandals and carried a small silver purse, where the paper that Byakuya-sama gave her was. 

She waited there a few minutes until she saw a figure closing in. It was Renji, and he looked very different, but it was only because she was wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath and a black tie. He also wore polished black dress shoes and wore sunglasses over his head. 

"You look like a hitman, Renji-san!" Rukia giggled. She also realized that he even looked more dangerous because of his hairstyle and his tattoos. 

"Yeah, thanks for the greeting." he replied sarcastically. 

"I was just joking! You look good!" said Rukia, trying to make up for the previous comment.

"Really?" Renji asked, sounding flattered. "You look good too." he said after, then blushed a little. "And uh... you don't have to put honorifics after saying my name. We're friends, so just call me by my name alone."

Rukia laughed. "Okay, Renji it is then! And you don't have to be so polite!" Rukia replied. "Just call me by my name too, since it's only fair." she said. 

Renji blushed even deeper at her reply, and turned to the entrance. "Okay then, follow me, we'll be taking one of the cars." he said to her, with his back facing her.

Rukia followed him outside and they went to an area in the manor she's never been to. It was all the way in the back, even behind the Nobles' mansion, so she's never seen the place before. There was a gate, and Renji opened it. "Sorry we had to take the outside passage. It's just because we're not allowed to be dressed like this if we're passing through the inside of the Nobles' mansion." he said to her. Rukia didn't even care. She was just shocked as to how big the place was. When they entered the gate, there were a bunch of cars parked there. 

"I guess we'll take the sports car." Renji said, and led her to the end, where there was a dark blue sports car. 

"Does Byakuya-sama own all of this!" Rukia asked him, still in shock. Each car looked pretty expensive.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. They're all his. He likes variation you know." Renji replied. He then headed over to another gate, opened it up, and hopped into the car. "Get in." He told her, and she did. They drove off to the gate that Renji just opnened, and after passing the gate, Renji stopped the car and got off. He closed the gates and locked it, then went back into the car and they drove off. For a few minutes, they were surrounded by forest only, and then ended up on a road near the highway. 

"Does Byakuya-sama own the forest too?" Rukia asked, just wanting to know if he really does. 

"Umm, yeah, he does. All of that land is his family's. Besides, having a forest hides that side of the manor. Byakuya-sama doesn't really like showing off his car collection." Renji replied, looking comfortable while driving.

Rukia sweat dropped at this and just sat back on her seat. Kuchiki Corp wasn't that far from the manor, and after just twenty minutes, they were there, in the heart of the city, where the tall building stood. Renji told her to wait in the lobby while he parked and she was pretty nervous about being there. It was her first time being surrounded by such people after all...


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm really glad to have had the time to write this chapter and be able to update. Sorry, but yeah, the next update would probably take a month and stuff because school is getting worse. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and for reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Not so well written, but I hope you guys bear with me! Thanks again!

_Chapter 10_

Rukia looked around the lobby as she waited for Renji, and spotted someone familiar. A figure with a carrot top head. She had never met anyone else who had such bright hair, so she was sure that he was someone she knew. He was waiting in front of the elevator, and Rukia walked briskly toward him before he went in.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said to the figure, and he turned around.

"Ah! Rukia! What are you doing here?!" Ichigo exclaimed, obviously looking surprised.

"I'm running errands for Byakuya-sama! This is Kuchiki Corp after all. What about you?" Rukia asked, excited to see one of her friends in one of the most unexpected places.

"I'm here for internship." he replied. " But never mind that. How are you?! How's working at the manor? Everyone misses you, you know." he added with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. You guys don't have to worry about me! And I miss all of you too." Rukia replied, with sadness. Just then, Renji stood in front of her, blocking her from Ichigo.

"This punk bothering you, Rukia?" Renji asked her, while facing Ichigo, giving him a glare.

"No Renji! Move aside, he's my friend! His name is Ichigo." Rukia replied, trying to push Renji aside. "Sorry, Ichigo, this is Renji, he works at the manor too and he's here with me." she added.

"Oh. Is he a hitman?" Ichigo asked, obviously trying to get Renji angry for interrupting his conversation with Rukia.

A vein popped up on Renji's forehead, but before he could do anything, Rukia stepped in between them. "Ah! Anyway, Renji and I have to get some things done. Sorry Ichigo! Maybe I'll be able to see you later? Which floor do you work?" she asked him.

"The 17th." he replied. "Just ask for someone to call me out." he added, and then gave Rukia a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Hope to see you later. I'll go on ahead then." and he entered the elevator as soon as it opened.

"What a jerk." Renji said to himself, but Rukia heard him and she turned around to face him.

"You didn't have to be so overprotective you know." she told him. "Even if he was just a punk, I could have handled it myself." she added, and then smiled. Renji turned his head away, trying to hide his reddening face. _'Why is she so cute?' _he asked himself, but then his thoughts got interrupted by her voice.

"Anyway, come one, we have to look for someone named Hisagi Shuuhei and pick up a file." Rukia said, while looking at the paper that Byakuya-sama gave her.

"Wait, I know that guy. Just follow me." Renji said, and they both got on the elevator.

A few minutes later, they ended up on the 22nd floor and got off there. Renji turned to the left with Rukia following him. After turning at corners a couple of times, they ended up outside a door with a label that said 'Hisagi Shuuhei' and at the bottom of that label was another one that said 'Kira Izuru'.

Rukia was about to knock on the door, but before she was able to do so, Renji just opened it. "Hey, I need a file." was what he said right after opening the door.

Two faces looked up, in response to the voice they heard. One of them had dark, spiky hair with a tattoo on his face that read '69'. The other one had blonde hair, and it was styled in a way which one of his eyes were covered.

"Jeez, you scared me, Renji." said the one with blonde hair.

"Did you forget how to knock?" said the one with a '69' on his face.

"Yeah, well, we're in a hurry." Renji replied to them, then turned to Rukia. "Rukia, tell them what you need." he said to her.

Rukia found Renji to be rude towards these people so she decided to be extra polite. She bowed to them to show them respect and then said, "Hello, I'm Rukia Kuchiki. Sorry for intruding, but we're here to ask for a file for Byakuya-sama."

The two men gave each other a look for a second then turned to Rukia. "Kuchiki?" the blonde man asked. "I'm pretty sure that he doesn't have any siblings. So, when did you guys get married?" the guy with the '69' on his face added.

Rukia turned red from this. She decided not to be so polite after all, but Renji replied for her. "They ain't married. It's just a coincidence. Anyway, will you just help us? We need a file." Renji told them.

"Fine. We'll introduce ourselves first though. I'm Hisagi Shuuhei and my co-worker here is Kira Izuru. Nice to meet you Rukia-san." said the man with the tattoo on his face. "What file do you need?" he added.

"Oh! Here, let me show you." Rukia replied, and showed him the piece of paper. He looked at it for a second and then headed over to the file cabinet at the corner of the room. He took out a folder and handed it to her.

"I think that that's all you need." he told her.

"Okay, thanks." Rukia replied, holding onto the folder, and then there was a bit of silence.

"What, you're not going to explain what your relation to Byakuya-sama is? It can't just be coincidence." Kira said, breaking the silence, wanting to find some answers just to feed his curiosity.

"Umm, it's all really just a coincidence." Rukia replied to him. "I'm his personal maid, and that's all my relation to him." she added.

"Wow, personal maid? So you're like Renji." Kira said.

"Who you calling a maid?!" Renji exclaimed, getting angry at the little joke.

"I'm just teasing Renji! Don't kill me." Kira said to him, looking a little bit nervous.

"It was just a joke, Renji. Let it go. Anyway, we're a little busy right now, and I'm pretty sure that you guys are too, so let's all get back to work." Interrupted Hisagi. "Drop by again when you're done running errands Renji. We haven't had much time to talk lately, and I'm starting to miss you." he added, sounding cool.

"Jeez! Don't make it sound like that!" Renji scolded. "Come one Rukia, we gotta finish up the job. See you guys later." he added, and then pulled Rukia by his side and exited the room.

After leaving the room, Rukia and Renji started to walk towards the elevator once again. Rukia was itching to ask Renji some questions, so she did. "So... what's your relationship with Shuuhei-san?" she asked.

"Man, you fell for that? Just ignore what he said. He's messed up. We're just friends." he replied, sounding irritated.

Rukia laughed softly. "I know it's just a joke, Renji. No need to be so angry." she said. "Anyway, now we need to find Matsumoto Rangiku. Do you know which floor she's in?" she added.

"Umm, yeah. She's actually just above this floor." he replied, and they both got on the elevator. They got off on the 23rd floor, and Renji turned right. This floor didn't have separate rooms this time. They were mostly cubicles.

"You seem to know your way around here." Rukia said to Renji as they walked along.

"Yeah, well, I pretty much work in the building too. I know that I've been staying in the manor lately, but that's just cause things around here haven't been busy. Whenever it does get hectic though, I come here with Byakuya-sama and he always gets me to pick up stuff for him whenever he's in his office. I've got the place mostly memorized." he replied to her.

After a number of turns, they ended up in a cubicle. There was a woman in there, and she had her head lying on the desk. It looked like she was asleep.

"Hey! Matsumoto! Wake up!" Renji shouted, and the woman opened her eyes.

"Just a few more minutes..." she replied groggily, and then closed her eyes again. A second later though, she sat up straight, looking surprised. "Oh my God! Was I asleep again? Sorry sorry! Don't report me!!" she exclaimed, and then looked at Renji and Rukia. "Oh, it's just you Renji. I thought it was Nanao-chan, even though you sound nothing like her. But anyway, that means I can sleep again." and she put her head down once again.

"Jeez, we need to pick up something so just stay awake for that." Renji told her, getting a little bit impatient.

"Ah, fine fine. What do you need?" she asked, and then stood up. The woman had long, wavy, strawberry-blonde hair and big uh... assets.

Rukia took out the paper and showed her the file number. "Sorry for bothering, but we need this file for Byakuya-sama. I'm Rukia by the way." Rukia said, purposely leaving out her last name. "It's nice to meet you..."

"Oh, just call me Matsumoto, and I'll call you Rukia-chan!" Matsumoto replied. "Oh, and sorry, but I don't have that file with me anymore. I handed it over to Aizen-sama. You'll find him at the second most top floor." she added, while looking at the piece of paper. "Oh, and look! You'll have to pick up a file from Ichimaru-san too, who is on the same floor, so it should be easy for you!" she said, with too much energy.

"Ah, okay! Thanks for your help." Rukia said with a smile.

"Aww! You're so adorable! How come I've never seen you around here before? Are you new?" Matsumoto asked with excitement.

"Well, I don't really work in the building. I work at the manor. I'm just here to pick up files for Byakuya-sama because he couldn't make it to work today." Rukia replied.

"Ooh! I see, I see. Well then, hope you come by to visit me next time you're in the building Rukia-chan!" Matsumoto told her. "Now it's time to continue my nap. See you later." she added. She yawned and then went to sit back down again. She lay her head down, and after just a few seconds, Rukia and Renji could hear her snore. She was already asleep.

"Jeez, she's so useless. I should report her." Renji said, sounding bitter.

"I thought she was nice." Rukia said as a reply, and they both headed back to the elevator.

After entering the elevator, Renji pressed the button '72' and then the 'Close' button, but as the elevator door was closing, someone shouted at them to hold the doors, so they did. A woman with glasses and a man with dark brown hair tied at the back entered. The man brought in the scent of sake.

"Thank for waiting!" said the woman. "Oh, Renji-san, it's you. Long time no see." she added, as she pressed the button '50'. Then the elevator doors closed and it started moving up.

"Yeah, long time." Renji replied. "What's wrong with Kyouraku-san? Is he drunk?" added Renji, noticing the strong scent of sake and the flushed look on the man's face.

"Yeah, he is. He was hanging around my cubicle again, and he was drinking there. I warned him not to take in so much. Now I have to bring him to his office just so that he doesn't fall over on the way there." she replied. She then looked beside Renji and noticed Rukia. "Is she your girlfriend?" she asked him.

"What?! Where'd you get that idea from?!" he asked in a panic.

"No need to be so loud, Renji, I was just assuming." she replied, and then turned to Rukia. "Anyway, if you're not his girlfriend, are you here to visit someone? Or are you a new employee?" she asked.

"Oh, um, I'm running errands with Renji for Byakuya-sama." Rukia replied. "I don't exactly work here, I work at the manor. I'm Rukia by the way." she added, then bowed. Deep inside, Rukia was getting tired of having to explain to people what her job was, but she couldn't help it because none of them knew her. She was glad though, that the people she'd met so far were nice.

"Nice meeting you Rukia-san. I'm Ise Nanao, and this is Kyouraku Shunsui. I just do data and statistical entry, while he's head of the shipment department." Nanao introduced.

"Nanao-chan! I'm tired! Let's hang out at your cubicle!" Kyouraku said suddenly, making Rukia jump a bit.

"You've been away from your office for a couple of hours now Kyouraku-san. People will start wondering where you've gone." Nanao replied to him, and he started to whine a bit.

"But I just want to be close to you..." he said, and then Rukia noticed Nanao blush a bit.

The elevator finally reached the 50th floor and Nanao said goodbye to Rukia and Renji before exiting with Kyouraku. She was supporting him this time, with his arm around her shoulder as they walked along.

After the elevator doors closed, Renji asked Rukia, "So, what made you want to work at the manor?"

Rukia looked at Renji after he asked his question then replied. "I want to earn money for school."

"Ooh, that's nice. Because you know, back then, we used to hire young servants but all they did was try to sneak into Byakuya-sama's room to take pictures of him. Even the guys did that. They were pretty annoying." Renji said.

"What, you think I'm like one of those girls... or guys?" Rukia asked, sounding as if she was accusing Renji for a heavy crime.

"Oh! No! No! Not at all. I was just saying... that... it's a good thing you have good intentions." he replied, then gave a nervous laugh.

"Okay..." Rukia said. "To make it even, I'll ask you the same question. What made you want to work at the manor?" she added.

"Well, uh... it's kinda hard to explain." Renji started. He looked unsure for a second, but started his story anyway. "I used to be homeless you know, and uh, one night some years ago, when Byakuya-sama was still going to school, I saw him walk down the street. Everyone knew who he was. He was some rich guy. So what I did was that I pulled him to an alley and I threatened him with a knife to give me some money. You wouldn't believe what happened after... About a few seconds later, he had me beaten up to a pulp and I was on the ground, and he was holding onto my knife. It was the only thing I owned and I told him to give it back. He knew that I was homeless, and the next words he said to me were the best words I've heard all my life. He said... 'You can make yourself a better person. Come live at the manor and work for me.' I remember crying right there and then. He trusted me whole-heartedly, he didn't even think that I could steal from his house. Since then, I've devoted my life to serving him and his family."

Rukia was shocked with the story and she looked at Renji with kind and understanding eyes. _'I never knew that Renji lived such a harsh life. And I never knew that Byakuya-sama could be so compassionate...' _she said to herself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. You must have been uncomfortable explaining what happened." she said.

"Nah, don't be sorry. I'm kinda glad to tell the story. It shows how good a person Byakuya-sama is. Most people here think he's ruthless and that gets me ticked." Renji replied. He looked up at the floor numbers. "Anyway, we're only one floor away until we get there." he added.

The elevator finally stopped and opened at the 72nd floor, and Renji and Rukia got off there...


End file.
